Parting Out Part Three: Time to Make Some Money

In part one of this series, Murilee Martin documented his find of a cheap, worn-out 1992 Lexus SC400, which he intended to tear down and sell many of the parts. In part two, he stripped down the 20-year-old luxury car. Now it's time to sell the treasures.

Parting Out Part Three: Time to Make Some Money

Parting Out Part Three: Time to Make Some Money

In part one, we obtained a 1992 Lexus SC400 as a project-car suspension donor. In part two, we disassembled the car and extracted all the parts that might be worth selling. What was left at that point was a shell and lots of random bits, which meant it was time to pay a visit to the crusher and extract a few bucks from the leftovers.

Every car has some change under the seats and beneath the carpets. You'll typically find at least a few bucks when you eviscerate a parts car (my personal record was over $7). But it became apparent to us that the Lexus SC400 was designed so that change (and other small objects) wouldn't get lost, with a one-piece carpet assembly, a near-airtight fit of carpeting to the center console, and clever seatbelt mounts that minimize coin-swallowing gaps. The grand total for this car: $1.19. Still, that took the cash investment down to $998.81, and every little bit helps!